Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures.  Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other.  But – When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.  He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. 

Titus 3:3-5 NLT

Sin, what a sad state of affairs.  Think how it has controlled our life from the beginning.  Before we could hardly speak, somehow we knew how to through fits, which was to get our own way no matter who our parents were.  Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient.  We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures.  We were not taught how to be selfish or to envy or to lust.  It just came naturally as we matured through life.  Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other.  It was while we were in this condition that God offered his grace, which is his kindness and love.  When a man or woman receives the grace of God a new nature is given which is meant to change the direction of life now and forever.  He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.  Today, may you know for sure that you have received his kindness and love.  You will know because of the joy that is yours - He washed away your sins, giving you a new birth and a new life through the Holy Spirit.  This should naturally bring about praise and thanksgiving from the depth of your soul to the glory of God.  Enjoy!

Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires.  Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin.  Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law.  Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.  Romans 6:12-14 NLT

The cause of actual freedom is called God’s grace. Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law.  Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.  Constantly trying to do right was never the condition for our freedom.  God never saved us by law or a set of standards. What the requirements of the law had to do with our salvation was to provide the way for sin to express itself so that we might see our actual nature and receive God’s gift grace through Jesus the Christ.  God never withholds grace because of sin; in fact grace is the infinite flow of God’s perfect love.  Today choose to rejoice in the freedom of God’s grace in your desires and your emotions. Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin.  Grace has provided the freedom for all wounds to be healed so that you may enjoy the life of who you are through Jesus Christ.  Rejoicing, peace and encouragement are yours know and forever when you live in the freedom of God’s grace. Enjoy!

Let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him.  For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ's blood to make us clean.  Hebrews 10:22 NIV

Let’s be honest, one of our biggest struggles through life is the feelings we have about ourselves. Our guilty consciences. That feeling is real, but it is not telling us the truth when God’s grace has penetrated our heart.  Here in God's Word we have a wonderful invitation – Let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him.  We are invited to come into his presence with all our emotions, with all our thoughts, even in the midst of our storm.  The idea of sincere hearts is the desire for his grace to live within us bringing about trust, peace and a cleansed conscience. So here again we are reminded that we now have no guilt or shame because of the blood of Christ. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean. So today, enjoy your life of grace and go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him.  As you do, enjoy the attitude of thanksgiving which will give you emotions that are refreshed and that will allow you to rejoice right where you are.  Enjoy

This happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.  On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers.  Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many. 2 Corinthians 1:9-11 NIV

Pray or prayers, what awkward words these are for so many of us.  We often are not sure how or what to pray for, therefore we miss much of the joy in relationship with our Lord. This happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.  When there is joy in our relationship with the Lord, then praying becomes a blessing as we request God’s grace for others.   Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.  In God’s grace that is through Jesus Christ, prayer becomes a natural response from us to the Lord.  In prayer we can express our thanks for a life that is described as a new creation.  When thanksgiving is our foundation of our prayer, we will find ourselves delighting in our Lord.  Today may you begin with a prayer of thanksgiving to your Lord.  What comes next in your heart and mind, bring before him with the assurance that what you are praying is now in the process of being accomplished for others.  Then many will give thanks and want to know the same grace and life that is yours.  Enjoy!

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.  Romans 14:17, 18 NIV

Righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit is the essence of what it means to live in the grace of Christ.  For without the kingdom of God being formed in us, we are slaves to old unhealthy habits and attitudes.  But in Christ we have been given grace so that we may experience his righteousness, which produces his peace, which gives us joy in the Holy Spirit.  Jesus Christ gave us a picture of the impact the kingdom of God is to make in a man or woman’s life. “What shall I compare the kingdom of God to?  It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough.  Luke 13:20, 21 NIV.  The kingdom of God is the product of the Holy Spirit and it is for all who receive the grace of God in Jesus Christ. After hearing the Lord pray so many times, the disciples asked him to teach them to pray with the same intimacy for the Father that he had.  Here is what he taught them. Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done…  Matthew 6:9 NIV.  So we have to make it personal.  I hallowed your name, I ask for your kingdom, righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit to be formed in me and I desire your will in my life so I surrender mine to you.  Today could be one of the most awesome days you have ever had.  May you desire his kingdom and his will for your life.  Enjoy!

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.  2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV

If you have ever wondered if God loved you, just look at this.  God took Jesus Christ and put him into our world.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  John 3:17 NIV.  Sin is condemning in all of it nature.  But God has a different plan for man, one that is called righteous.  Righteousness is the deliverance from the guilt and deliverance from the power of our own sin.  It is the gift of God’s grace through Jesus Christ.  We cannot earn it or achieve it on our own.  It must be received as a gift and once received it is yours forever.  Question – How much does God love us?  God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.  Today may you receive this gift of grace and know this righteousness of God that has been provided through Jesus the Christ.  Once this gift is received it is yours now and forever.  Enjoy!

Everything that does not come from faith is sin.  Romans 14:23 NIV

Wow! So what is faith?  Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.  Hebrews 11:1 Faith is the living confidence in what God has said is absolute truth. It is not an academic thought, it is the certainty that God is; and without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.  Hebrews 11:6. Through faith we can receive his grace in Jesus Christ. It is the gift of God and it is living. I like to think of it this way, that grace is the living water and faith is the channel along which the beauty of grace flows down to recreate our thoughts and emotions.  In grace through faith there is no tension so that our thoughts and emotions can experience righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, sometimes in some of the most difficult situations.  Today let yourself experience the life called faith by the grace of our Lord.  In grace there is no sin, no regret, no doubt and no fear.  Enjoy!

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."  Psalm 91:1, 2 NIV

No matter who we are, no matter what our education, no matter what our wealth and no matter what our nationality is, sometime along our journey great sadness comes to us.  It may be the death of our career, our money, our desires, our marriage or our friends.  It is right here where grace in Jesus the Christ can make a difference in our sorrow.  He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. Grace is God's love that is alive and can refresh and renew our emotions and thoughts right in the midst of heart ache.  Sorrow does happen, but grace lets us know that it is not the end of the journey.  On this new day may you rejoice in his love with thanksgiving and praise no matter where you may be found.  His grace is a place of refresment and brings joy back to our emotions and thoughts. I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."   Enjoy!

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.  Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth). 

Ephesians 5:8, 9 NIV

The power of God’s grace that is found in Jesus the Christ is clearly told here.  For you were once darkness, but now you are light.  This is not an improvement or adaption, it is a new creation.  Here we are taken back to the origin of everything; a creation is bringing something out of nothing.  The beauty, the love and the power of grace is that it took darkness and turned it into light.  Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consist in all goodness, righteousness and truth). That means the freedom of grace affects the seat of our personality, our heart, our understanding and our affections.  This changes everything in how we view ourselves, our circumstances and our relationships.  Now grace can reveal itself through our speech and our actions.  On this new day may you enjoy remembering who you are because of the grace of God.  May the old habits of darkness have no place to express themselves because grace has renewed your words, your actions and even your moods.  This is a good day to give thanks to the Lord right where you find yourself.  Enjoy!